


Go Home

by Jenny_Starseed



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, More comfort than hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:19:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9600677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenny_Starseed/pseuds/Jenny_Starseed
Summary: Normally Hathaway didn't need to be told to do simple basic routines of human living.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lynndyre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynndyre/gifts).



> We matched on Endeavour but I ended up writing Lewis. I guess I've been needing an excuse to write these two. Of all the 3 shows in the Morse universe, Inspector Lewis was my first love.

Lewis took one look at Hathaway and said "Go home."

Hathaway slumped over his desk staring at financial spreadsheets, looking like he would stab someone if anyone interrupted his dead gaze staring contest he had with the computer screen. The cold coffee by his hand and the half-eaten sandwich had seen better days. So had his rumpled suit. 

Hathaway pretended not to hear him. Sometimes Lewis wondered if he was dealing with a bloody child when Hathaway got like this. Go to sleep. Eat this. Drink that. Shower. Go home. It was cases like these that brought out this tendency in Hathaway. Normally Hathaway didn't need to be told to do simple basic routines of human living. 

Lewis sighed and marched on over to Hathaway's desk, took his limp hand off the mouse, saved the file and turned off the computer. Hathaway gave his best "I'm not impressed" glare as he did so. But Lewis wasn't a Detective Sargent to Morse for fifteen years without learning a thing or two about handling stubborn, driven detectives. 

He tossed a ham, tomato and cheese sandwich in front of Hathaway and said "Eat. And then I'm going to take you home."

Hathaway sat up straight, his head held up stiffly and tried to put on his posh dignified man pose but it was severely undermined by his coffee stained shirt and the 2 day growth on his chin. The slightly dazed look and dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep did no favours either. 

"I'm fine, sir."

"Don't fine me. I know you're not. I know exhaustion when I see it. You're no good to anyone like this. You need fresh eyes for this work and I'll not have you going off half cocked on some unsuspecting witness because you misread something in those financial details."

"I wouldn't be so careless."

"You think you wouldn't. But I've seen it happen. It happens to the best of us on cases like these." 

Hathaway slumped in his chair, discarding his poor charade. He rubbed his face and spread his arms in mock surrender, with a exaggerated look of martyrdom that was so uncharacteristic of Hathaway, Lewis thought Hathaway was taking a piss out of him. But he'll take any surrender he can get. Hathaway looked at the sandwich liked it personally offended him before half heartedly unwrapping it. Lewis considered the battle won when Hathaway began eating it in earnest. 

"Come on, you," said Lewis, trying to sound more exasperated than he felt once Hathaway finished his sandwich. "You sleep 8 hours and I'll bring you a muffin and coffee in the morning."

"You're too kind, sir," said Hathaway.

"You almost sound sincere," quipped Lewis. "You must be very tired."

Hathaway didn't dignify this with an answer. Instead he shut down his computer, picked up his jacket and followed Lewis out the door.

_____________***

"Wake up sleeping beauty."

"Do I have to?"

"You can stay here if you like but I would have to charge you one-night rent."

Hathaway opened his eyes and looked out the window. He was home. He rolled his neck and gingerly rolled his shoulder and regretted it. Lewis's car was hardly charitable to his six-foot frame. 

"Do I get a complimentary breakfast with that?"

"You'll find out in the morning. Come on. The night is old as they say."

"No one says that."

"But I do. Come on and let's get out. If you're a good boy, I'll tuck you in and read you a story."

"Do I get to choose the story?"

"Only if you brush your teeth. Now let's go."

Hathaway groaned. He could have sworn that Lewis time traveled and robbed Hathaway of some much needed sleep. There was no way his modest little house magically showed up in front of Lewis's car in the split-second moment between the time he closed and opened his eyes. His hands and feet didn't feel like cooperating. It was like moving through a fog. 

The car door opened. A hand grasped his arm and ignited his deep-seated muscle memory that told him how to get out of a car and into his house. He fumbled for his keys, unlocked the door and got into his house. He moves towards the inviting looking couch but the hand on his arm had other ideas.  
"No. That's not the way. Up the stairs you go. I promised to tuck you in bed and in bed you'll be."

"You never said it had to be a bed."

"Don't come running to me when your back hurts in the morning. Now up you get."

Hathaway’s brain was much too tired to come up with a witty protest. He might as well let Lewis fuss over him because the alternative required too much effort. He watched his feet climb the stairs. Left right left right until he somehow landed face first on his bed. Shoes were taken off. Then socks. There was tugging at his arms and shoulders but something in Hathaway refused to co-operate. There’s a limit to how much a man can take while trying to get some proper sleep. Then, capitulation. And an exaggerated sigh.

“All right. Be that way.”

Someone gently pulled the covers to his chin before the lights were turned off and he was mercifully left to drift off to sleep.


End file.
